Inside Unmanned Systems

APR-MAY 2018

Inside Unmanned Systems provides actionable business intelligence to decision-makers and influencers operating within the global UAS community. Features include analysis of key technologies, policy/regulatory developments and new product design.

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40 April/May 2018 unmanned systems
inside
SPECIAL REPORT NASA TECHNOLOGY
schedule a f light as well as the vehicle that will
take them to and from the vertiport, Prevot
said. That can easily be accomplished through
the existing Uber app.
The network will also provide informa-
tion to aircraft pilots, Prevot said, such as the
schedule, f light planning, re-routing informa-
tion, airspace management services,
and any environmental aspects, such
as weather, that might affect a trip.
TRANSPORTING CARGO
While passenger vehicles seem to
be the focus, there's also an oppor-
tunity for these large aircraft to
deliver cargo. Delivery vehicles will
need the same emergency landing
options as passenger-carrying air
taxis, Kopardekar said, and safety
for the systems as well as assets on
the ground will also need to be con-
sidered as they're built out.
Airbus is working to develop a
cargo delivery drone called Skyways,
Thomsen said. The Skyways UAS
recently completed a delivery at the
National University of Singapore,
where it took off from its dedicated
maintenance center and landed on
the roof of a specially designed par-
cel station. While at the station, a ro-
botic arm loaded a parcel, then the
drone returned to the center and
automatically unloaded the package.
"Many cities have congestion that's
driven by vans delivering online orders
and goods. If we can relieve some of
that congestion by transporting these items in
the air, that's very valuable," Thomsen said, not-
ing Skyways is a smaller drone focused on light-
weight parcel delivery. "There's also a use case for
the larger passenger aircraft we're designing. It
will be able to transport both cargo and people,
though the requirements might be different.
Vertical flights in cities must be a pleasant expe-
Photo courtesy of Bell Helicopter.
SCALING AIR TAXI SYSTEMS
Getting these aircraft to scale could be a challenge, but its one Bell
Helicopter is prepared for, Director of Innovation Scott Drennan said.
"You would need perhaps hundreds of these vehicles per city,
which is a much higher rate than normal," he said. "Setting up the
manufacturer capacity to do that could be challenging for some
manufacturers."
CHECK-IN SYSTEM
Though this will be determined by the FAA and other regulating
bodies, Scott Drennan, director of innovation for Bell Helicopter,
hopes to have a faster check-in system than what we're accustomed
to at major airports. The system should be just as safe, but more fl uid
to support more fl ights.